Containers



Jan. 26, 1965 R. D. PARTRIDGE CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 11, 1965 M w \AM l I 2| 5 4 /w 0 2 2 i A- l I n .u Q1 w Ty F0 2 5 5 N v 2 2 2 Y 3 511'. 8 n P 2 m ROBERT D.

A Home y Jan. 26, 1965 R. D. PARTRIDGE CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 11. 1963 PA RTR] DGE M A Home y 5 ROBERT 0.

Jan. 26, 1965 R. D. PARTRIDGE 3,

CONTAINERS Filed March 11, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I nventor ROBERT D. PARTREDGE u. '4 M Attorneys Jan. 26, 1965 R. D. PARTRIDGE CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 11, 1963 ROSERT 0. PA RTRIDGE By 9 a, A Home Jan. 26, 1965 R. D. PARTRIDGE CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 11, 1963 Inventor v. PAR-mi DGE Attorneys ROBERT United States Pate 3,157,232 Patented Jan. 26, 1965 Flee This invention relates to containers and in particular to containers whichinclude a body made of cardboard or similar material and are intended primarily to contain liquids.-

Containers of this kind currently in use are usually coated with wax but this kind of container is expensive to produce because it is necessary to use a high quality cardboard and the cost of the wax and the application.

thereof to the container has considerably increased the cost. This kind of container does however lend itself to theformation of what has become known as a gable form of closure which is an attractive kind of closure and is capable of being provided with a pouring spout.

it has also been proposed to line a cardboard container with a bag of heat-scalable material, the bag being secured inside the collapsed outer cardboard carton to be set up simultaneously with the-setting up of the carton. With such proposed forms of container, however, the mouth of the bag is heat-sealed and is then folded into the outer carton which is closed by folding closure flaps fiat one over another and securing the outer flaps one to the other. Such a container does not possess the attrac tive appearance of the gable-closed container and does notlend itself to the provision of a pouring spout. Fur- ;ther, it is difiicult to obtain access to the heat-sealed bag unless scissors are readily available.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a container which consists of an outer carton made of relatively inexpensive cardboard or like material and Whichis lined with a bag made of heat-scalable liquidimperviousorganic thermoplastic material, and which is capable of being provided with means for effecting opening of the heat-sealed bag.

According to the invention there is provided a container comprising. a carton made of cardboard or similar material andhavinga body the interior of which is lined by a bag made of heat-sealable liquid-impervious organic thermoplastic material extending outwards from the top otthe. carton body and having the mouth thereof closed by a seam formed by the juxtaposition and heat-scaling of two opposite side portions, of the bag, the side portions ofthe bagwhich extend between said seam and the top 'ofthe cartonbody being covered by cover flaps which slopetowards each other from opposite sides of the top of the cartonbody and which terminate in seam-engaging flaps provided with tearing edges located between the longitudinal edges of the seam-engaging flaps and extending from positions adjacent to like ends of the seam-engaging flaps towards the opposite ends of the flaps and with lines of weakening which extend from the free longitudinal edges of the seam-engaging flaps towards the tearing edges at positions intermediate the opposite ends of the flaps, said tearing edges being spaced by like distances from the free longitudinal edges of the seam-engaging flaps and the seam-engaging flaps being secured to said juxtaposed opposite, side portions of the bag except in regions, thereof located between saidtearing edges and the free longitudinal edges of the seam-engagingfiaps thereby to facilitate tearing of the bag along said tearing edges following tearing thereof along a path defined by said linesvof weakening while gripped between the seam-engaging fiapportions located on opposite sides of the lines of weakening.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood some embodiments thereof will'now be described, byway of example, with reference to the accompanying draw ings, in which:

FEGUREI illustrates a blank for carton according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 illustrates the container in a partly set-up condition thereof,

FIGURE 3 illustrates a container according to the invention,

FIGURE 4 illustrates, in exaggerated form, the, mode of closing the mouth of the bag, 7

FiGURE 5 illustrates the manner of opening the sealed s,

In the drawings liketreference numerals indicate like or similar par-ts.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates a blank made of cardboard or similar material from which a cartonvis made. Theblankhas fourbody-forming sides 1, 2, 3, d and. a flap 5 which, when theblank is folded to form a four-sided body is secured, as byanadhesive,

to theside 1. At one end of,t he blank are four bottomj closing flaps 6, 7, 8, 9 which when the container is set up arevfolded flat one over the other in known manner, the, outer flaps being secured,;as by an adhesive, one to the other.

The. opposite endof the blankds provided with two rectangular cover flaps 1t), 11 which in theset-up conditionof the, container extend frornopposite sides at the top 12, PEG. 3, of the body and with two triangular end flaps13, ldwhich are independent :of the, cover flaps 19,11 and have the bases thereofhinged to the top lg of the carton body. In the set-up condition of thecar-ton,

FIG. 3 the end flaps l3, 14 slope towards eachipothen The, cover flaps it), li have seamengaging tlaps ls 16.

formed in extension thereof and these flapsare c llg i by a pouienforming fiap l7 and a connecting fiap 18,. Theufiapsli, 18 are respectivelyprovidedwith medial creases 1%, 29 about which they can be folded as "de; scribed below,

The, seam-engaging flap-s 15,16 are each provided with a line of weakening, formed by a seriesofclosely adjacent short slits 21, wh ich extends frorn the freelongitudinal edge, 22 of vthe flap towards and substantially to the junction23 of the fiap with its cover fiap An opening 24 is formed in each seam-engaging flap 15, 16 at a position betweenthe free longitudinal edge 22 and junction 23 and presents a tearing edge 25,; As

shown in the drawings, theuppef edge of the 'ope nin g 24, is spacedfroni the tearingedge 25 at a position which is between the tearing edge ZS-and the free longitudinal edge of the Seam engaging flap. The tearing edge 25. is located between the longitudinal edges 22, 23 ,of the seam-engaging fiaps lS, land extends from posi tions adjacent 'to the like ends 25,27 of the seam-engag ing flaps towards the opposite ends 28, 29f. of: the'flapsl The edge 25 is an edge along which, as is described below, bag material can be torn following tearing there- 5 of together with the seannforming flap along the line of weakening 21 and the edges ZS in the seam-engaging flaps 15, in are spaced by like distances from the free longitudinal edges 22 of the said flaps. Preferably the FIGURE 6 illustrates the manner in which a pouring H a bar seal;

the;container is closed as illustrated in FIGUREA, are

alignable with the openings 24. y r

A bag 31, FIGURE 2, lines ,thecarton and has a closed end32. The bag is'madeof'heat-sealable liquidimpervious material, preferably an organic thermoplasticv material such as polyethylene, and islpreferably made froma seamless tube. The bag is so located in the carton that the mouth end of .the bag extends outwards from the top of the carton body and the bag is preferably secured to the body so that it is set up simultaneously with the setting up of the carton body.

Following the closing of the bottom of the carton -by the bottom flaps 6,7, 8, 9 and the insertion of the contents into the bag, the mouth of the bag is closed by infolding of the end flaps 10, 11 and 13, 14. This causes the formation of a mouth-closing seam formed by the juxtaposition of the'two opposite side portions 33, 34 and the gusset-folding, FIGURE 4, of the other I side portions 35, 36, the gusset folds being disposed between the juxtaposed portions 33, 34 and folded together with the flaps 17, 18 which arefolded about the medial creases 19, 20 formed therein. In this condition,

vas illustrated in FIGURE'3, the. sides of the bag extending between theseam and the top of the carton body and which terminate in said opposite side portions33, 34-'-are covered and engaged by the cover flaps 10,11 which slope towards each'other from the .tops of the opposite sides 1, 3 of the carton body. The side portions 35, 3610f the mouth'end of the bag are engaged.

by'the triangular end flaps 13, 14 which also slope to wards each other from theto'ps of the oppositesi d es 2, I

40f the carton'body. I a The seam-engaging flaps -15,-,16 are" secured, as by adhesive, to the bag portions33, 34, FIGURE 2', and although flaps 17, 18 need not be secured to the bag portions 35, 36 in the preferred embodiment of the in vention theyare so secured.

' In the closed condition thereof the mouth portion of the bag extends beyond the free longitudinal edges 22 of the seam-engaging flaps 15, 16 and is sealed by a heat-induced bead seal 37, FIGURE 3." The scaling is effected by a'bead seal because of the .thickness of the seam which for most of the length thereof consistsof four thicknesses of bag material bflt'at the centre of the seam consists, for a short distance, of only two thicknesses of bag material; The bead seal ensures a completely liquid-tight seal "which could not be ensured by When it is desired to obtain access to the contents of the container the portion 38 is gripped-between a finger and-thumb of one hand and, with the other hand,

the lines of -weakening 21 are torn from the edges 22 down to the junctionr23.' The lines ot' weakening are only two thicknesse's'of bag material and this eases the tearing of the bag material and results in tearing of the in broken lines in FIGURES'l and 6.

. 4 edges 25 befree to stretch in order to effect tea-ring thereof and it is for this reason that the said portions of the bag material are arranged to be unsecured to the seam-engaging flaps.

The bag is now opened and -by pulling out the infolded pourer-forming flap'17, FIGURE 6, the bag portion secured thereto is caused to form a pouring spout If desired, to facilitate the pulling out ofthe flap 17 the latter may be provided-with a tag 43 as indicated FIGURES 7 to 9 illustrate an alternative form of carton embodying the invention and from FIGURE 7 it will be seen that the. blank is generally similar to that of FIGUREl butthat thebottom end flaps 6,, 7, 8

and 9 are designed to be connected by infolding and interlocking, insteadpf by 'adhesive, and that the tri angular flaps 13,14 are not independent of the cover flaps 10, 11 but are connected thereto by portions 44 through slit and tag connections45. Further, the tearing edges 25 are formed, by slits, instead of openings, made inthe seam-engaging flaps 15,16 and pourer-forrn- 'ing'flaps 17 and the lines of weakening 26 are formed by slits which extend from edge 22 nearly, but not quite, to 'the slits formingthe tearing edges 25. In FIGURE 7 adhesive is indicated by hatching and it will be noted I that no adhesive is applied to the area 46 :so that the bag portions immediately above the tearing edges 25 are not adhered to the seam-engaging flaps15, 16 or to the-pourer-forming flap 17. r

The alternative carton shown in FIGURElO'is similar to that of FIGURE 8-but carton sides 2 and 4 are provided with crease lines 47' which permit the mouth end of the carton to be closed in a manner such that the bag-mouthclosing seam consists of only two juxtaposed oppositeportions throughout the whole length thereof. This permits the heat-sealing of the bag mouth-closing seam by a sealing device. of Well known form i band sealer;

The carton shown in FIGURE 11 is similar to that of FIGURE 10 except thatthe creaselines 47'; commence at positions intermediate the bottom and topof the carton body so that thelower portion43 of the carton body is of rectangular cross-section similar to that of the cartons shown in FIGURES .3 and 8.

I claim: V h

1. A carton made of cardboard or similar material comprising a body the-interior of whichvis lined by a bag ""made. of heat-sealable liquid-impervious organic .ther'mo- I plastic imaterial, said bag extending outwards from the top of the, carton body and having the mouth thereof closed by a seam formed by the juxtaposition and heatsealing of. two opposite side portionsof the bag, coverfiaps connected one toeachoftwo opposite sides of the body at the top-thereof, said cover flaps sloping towards each other and covering the side portions of the bag which extend between said seam and the top of the carton body,

. l j and seam-engagingflaps extending one from each of the located in the region of the bead seal which consists of seam-engaging, flaps 15, 16. and of'the bag material secured thereto and, so presents rawedges-[o'f bag materialfor tearing-:alongthetearing edges25. This is,

efiected by gripping the portions 39 between the finger and thumb of one hand and the2por'tion'40'with the cover flaps and engaging said seam, said seam-engaging flaps including tearing edges'loca'ted between the longi-' tudinal edges of the seam-engaging flaps and extending from positions adjacent to like ends of the flaps towards other hand andthen tearing the bag material along the tearing edges 25 towards the ends' 26, '27 of the seam-. engaging flaps 15,16 and completely removing the porfree longitudinal'edgesof thev se'am engaging flaps" and are not-secured'to the seam-engagingflaps. It' has been found to'be essential to the tearing 'of the bag material that theportio'n thereof immediately above the tearing lines of weakening.

extendfrom the free longitudinal edges of the. flaps towards the tearing edges at positions intermediaterthe opposite ends of the flaps, said tearing edges being spaced bylike distances from the free longitudinal edges of the seamengaging flaps and the seam-engaging fiapsbeingsecured to said juxtaposed opposite side portions of the bag except in regions thereof located between said tearing edges and the free longitudinal edges of the seam-engaging flaps 1 thereby to facilitate tearing of the bag along said tearing edgesfollowing tearing thereof along a path defined by said lines of weakening while gripped between the seamen'gaging flap portions located on opposite sides of the and which is known as. a T

2. A carton according to claim 1, wherein each tearing edge is formed by one side of an opening formed in a seam-engaging flap and another side of the opening is spaced fnom said one side at a position between said one side and the free longitudinal edge of the seam-engaging flap.

3. A carton according to claim 1, wherein each tearing edge is substantially at right angles to the line of weakening extending towards said tearing edge.

4. A carton according to claim 3, wherein each line of weakening is formed by a series of closely adjacent slits.

5. A carton made of cardboard or similar material comprising a four-sided body the interior of which is lined by a bag made of heat-sealable liquid-impervious organic thermoplastic material, said bag extending outwards from the top of the carton body and having the mouth thereof closed by a seam formed by the juxtaposition and heatsealing of two opposite side portions of the bag, cover fiaps connected one to each of two opposite sides of the body at the top thereof, said cover flaps sloping towards each other and covering the side portions of the bag which extend between said seam and the top of the carton body, seam-engaging flaps extending one from each of the cover flaps and engaging said seam, a connecting flap connecting one pair of like ends of the seam-engaging flaps and provided with a medial crease, and a pourer-forrning flap connecting the other pair of like ends of the seam-engaging flaps and provided with a medial crease about which it is foldable to form with portions of the bag a spout by which the contents of the carton may be poured therefrom, said seam-engaging flaps including tearing edges located between the longitudinal edges of the seam-engaging flaps and extending from positions adjacent to like ends of the flaps towards the opposite ends thereof and lines of weakening which extend from the free longitudinal edges of the flaps towards the tearing edges at positions intermediate the opposite ends of the flaps, said tearing edges being spaced by like distances from the free longitudinal edges of the seam-engaging flaps and the seam-engaging flaps being secured to said juxtaposed opposite side portions of the bag except in regions thereof located between said tearing edges and the free longitudinal edges of the seam-engaging flaps thereby to facilitate tearing of the bag along said tearing edges following tearing thereof along a path defined by said lines of weakening while gripped between the seam-engaging flap portions located on opposite sides of the lines of weakening.

6. A carton according to claim 5 wherein the connecting flap and the power-forming flap are each secured to h g r 7. A carton according to claim 6, wherein the connecting flap and the pourer-forming flap and the sides of the bag associated therewith are gusset-folded to form said seam and the pourer-forming flap is provided with a tearing edge aligned with the tearing edges formed in the seam-engaging flaps.

8. A carton according to claim 5, wherein the connecting flap and the pourer-forming flap and the sides of the bag associated therewith are gusset-folded to form said seam and the pourer-forming flap is provided with a tearing edge aligned with the tearing edges formed in the seam-engaging flaps.

9. A carton according to claim 5, wherein each tearing edge is formed by one side of an opening formed in a seam-engaging flap and another side of the opening is spaced from said one side at a position between said one side and the free longitudinal edge of the seam-engaging flap.

10. A carton according to claim 5, wherein each tearing edge is substantially at right angles to the line of weak ening extending toward said tearing edge.

11. A carton according to claim 10, wherein each line of weakening is formed by a series of closely adjacent slits.

12. A carton according to claim 7, wherein each tearing edge is formed by one side of an opening formed in a seam-engaging flap and another side of the opening is spaced from said one side at a position between said one side and the free longitudinal edge of the seam-engaging flap.

13. A carton according to claim 12, wherein each tearing edge is substantially at right angles to the line of weakening extending towards said tearing edge.

14. A carton according to claim 13, wherein each line of weakening is formed by a series of closely adjacent slits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,157,462 Van Wormer Oct. 19, 1915 2,292,653 Palmer Aug. 11, 1942 2,493,337 Buttery Jan. 3, 1950 2,959,336 Mosse et a1 Nov. 8, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 225,010 Australia Mar. 5, 1959 1 i B i '.."."".""T.T'.'.'. July 30, 1952 

1. A CARTON MADE OF CARDBOARD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL COMPRISING A BODY THE INTERIOR OF WHICH IS LINED BY A BAG MADE OF HEAT-SEALABLE LIQUID-IMPERVIOUS ORGANIC THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL, SAID BAG EXTENDING OUTWARDS FROM THE TOP OF THE CARTON BODY AND HAVING THE MOUTH THEREOF CLOSED BY A SEAM FORMED BY THE JUXTAPOSITION AND HEATSEALING OF TWO OPPOSITE SIDE PORTIONS OF THE BAG, COVER FLAPS CONNECTED ONE TO EACH OF TWO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BODY AT THE TOP THEREOF, SAID COVER FLAPS SLOPING TOWARDS EACH OTHER AND COVERING THE SIDE PORTIONS OF THE BAG WHICH EXTEND BETWEEN SAID SEAM AND THE TOP OF THE CARTON BODY, AND SEAM-ENGAGING FLAPS EXTENDING ONE FROM EACH OF THE COVER FLAPS AND ENGAGING SAID SEAM, SAID SEAM-ENGAGING FLAPS INCLUDING TEARING EDGES LOCATED BETWEEN THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE SEAM-ENGAGING FLAPS AND EXTENDING FROM POSITIONS ADJACENT TO LIKE ENDS OF THE FLAPS TOWARDS THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND LINES OF WEAKENING WHICH EXTEND FROM THE FREE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE FLAPS TOWARDS THE TEARING EDGES AT POSITIONS INTERMEDIATE THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE FLAPS, SAID TEARING EDGES BEING SPACED BY LIKE DISTANCES FROM THE FREE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE SEAMENGAGING FLAPS AND THE SEAM-ENGAGING FLAPS BEING SECURED TO SAID JUXTAPOSED OPPOSITE SIDE PORTIONS OF THE BAG EXCEPT IN REGIONS THEREOF LOCATED BETWEEN SAID TEARING EDGES AND THE FREE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE SEAM-ENGAGING FLAPS THEREBY TO FACILITATE TEARING OF THE BAG ALONG SAID TEARING EDGES FOLLOWING TEARING THEREOF ALONG A PATH DEFINED BY SAID LINES OF WEAKENING WHILE GRIPPED BETWEEN THE SEAMENGAGING FLAP PORTIONS LOCATED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LINES OF WEAKENING. 